Inking apparatus for printing-machines



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet '1 J. T. HAWKINS.

INKING APPARATUS FOR PRINTING MACHINES.

Patented Sept. 15

XZZVVTENTOZ A TTORNEYJ N. versus PholoLilhogmpher, Waahingion. n c.

(N0 ModeL) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

J. T. HAWKINS.

INKING APPARATUS FOR PRINTING MACHINES.

No. 326,215. Patented Sept. 15, 1885.

WITNESS-EDS: $321054 g'omfl. TMM/ ATTORNEY? N. PETERS, Phulo-ljlhognphur. Washinglun. n4;

UNITED STATES P TENT Trice.

JOHN HAW'KINS, OF TAUNTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

INKING APPARATUSFOR PRINTING-MACHINES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 326,215, dated September 15, 1885.

Application filed December 26, 1883. (No model.) i

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN T. Hawkins, of Taunton, in the county of Bristol and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Inking Apparatus for Printing-Machines, which invention or improvement is fully set forth and illustrated in the following specification and accompanying drawings.

This invention consists, first, in an improved method of operating the ductor or transfer roller; second, in the form of the ink-plate for that variety of printing-press in which theink-plate runs overtheink-fountain; third, in providing an easy means of changing the ink-fountains of a press when it is required to change from one color to another, thus saving the waste and labor incidental to cleaning out a fountain for such change of color.

\Vhere the fountains of printingpresses are placed below the ink-plate. andthe ductor or transfer roller is arranged to alternately lie upon said plate and upon afountain-roller by its own weight, the ductor or transfer roller in being lifted from the fountain-roller to the level of the ink-plate will generally have a ridge of ink left at the line where it parts contact with the fouiitainroller, and this ridge will be deposited upon the extreme free edge of the ink-plate instead of being laid upon it at a point far enough from said edge to be thereafter properly distributed by the angle diszributing-rollers. At high speeds, also, with heavy bodies of ink, and a correspondingly heavy ridge of ink left on the bottom of the ductor or transfer roller when parting from the fountain roller, the advancing edge of the ink-plate when striking this ridge of ink will tend to throw it off and besmear surrounding objects. The fountain-blade adjusting-screws of an ink-fountain as generally made (and no matter hownicely fitted) will, from constant wear, become loose in their screw-threaded holes, and thus be liable to unscrew and run back from the vibration of the machinery and disturb the adjustment of the ink-film upon the fountain-roller. To obviate these said defects is partly the object of this invention.

Inthe accompanying drawings, Figure l is a side elevation, and Fig. 2 an end elevation with a part of the fountain-bowl cut away, of those parts of the inking apparatus of a printing-press (in which the ink-fountain is situated below the level of the ink-plate) necessary to illustrate the invention. Fig. 3 is a top view of a portion of an ink-plate and its ductor or transfer roller. Fig. 4 is a transverse section through the center of the lllk-f0lll]t3.lll. Fig. 5 is a part of said fountain viewed from the under side. Fig. 6 is an elevation of a fountain blade adj usting-screw with its nut attached, partly in section. Fig. 7 is a view in plan of the nut seen in Fig. 6. Fig. 8 shows in several views the arrangement of a coupling upon the fountain-roller shaft, permitting of the removal of the fountain bodily from the press without disturbing any of the driving mechanism. Fig. 9 is a view of said coupling at ninety degrees of its revolution from Fig. 8. Fig. 10 is a modification of the nut shown in Figs. 6 and 7, hereinafter explained.

In the said figures, A indicates a portion of the main frame of a printing-press to which is attached suitable brackets, A, for carrying the fountain and its operative mechanism; B, a fountain-bowl; B, the fountailrblade, (removed in Fig. 2.)

L L indicate two bell-crank levers, formed at their lower extremities into toothed sectors and vibrating. respectively, on studs L L in the brackets A.

L indicates a shaft journaled in the brackets A, carrying on its ends the toothed sectors L L. i Y

The ductor or transfer-roller D is journaled loosely in the horizontal arms of the bell crank levers L L", and rises and falls within slots L in the brackets A. The bell-crank lever L is actuated by a connecting rod, L pivoted thereto at one end, and connected at its other end to any suitable moving part of the mechanism, to cause the bell-crank lever L to oscillate upon the stud L at the proper times.

1? indicates a pulley upon a short shaft, forming a continuation of one-halfof a coupling, P, journaled in one of the brackets A, for actuating the fountain-roller by means of the belt p, suitably connected to any properly-moving part of the machinery. The pulley 1? contains within it a ratchet, (not shown,) and is given ICO a return motion by the belt P", wound upon its hub, and the weight P. The ink-plate I, attached to the reciprocating type-bed of the press, passes in its excursions over the fountain-roller B and under the ductor or transfer roller D, the latter being lifted to the level of the ink-plate I at the proper time by the mechanism above described.

P indicates half of a coupling secured to the shaft of the ink-roller B. This coupling, as shown in Figs. 8 and 9, is so slotted that when its slot is brought in line wit-h the direction in which the fountain must move in order to be removed, said fountain may be so removed or replaced without obstruction of any kind.

T T indicate a series of thumb screws for adjusting the contact of the fountain-blade 'B with the roller B.

T indicates a nut upon each thumb-screw T. Each nut T has upon oneside a small right-angled projection, t, pointing toward the point of its respective thumb-screw T. The nuts T have slots it cut through their respective sides opposite their projections t. The thumb-screws T are fitted to run loosely in their screw-threaded holes in the fountainbowl B, while the nuts T are either tapped out with a smaller tap before slotting, or are slightly closed up with a hammer after slotting, so as to run tightly on the threads of the thumb screws T, and, being split, as described, are sufficiently elastic to give a constant frictional resistance to the turning of the thumbscrews within them.

Adjoining the tapped holes forthe thumbscrews T in the fountain -bowl B are drilled, at a proper distance, small holes for the reception of the projections t of the nuts T, so that when the screws T are rotated the nuts T do not rotate with them. If it be desired that the screws T should rotate easier when being screwed up against the fountain-blade B than when being unscrewed, to make it more sure that the screws T shall not rotate outward by thejar of the machinery, and yet run inward easy enough to be operated by the thumb and finger, the nut T may be made, as shown in Fig. 10, as for a left-hand screw, in which the hole tapped in the nut is placed therein eccentrically, and the slot cut through the thinnest part ofthemctal. The effect of this is that, in turning the screw T within the nut T in a direction I from the thicker to the thinner metal (or, as shown, from left to right at the top of Fig. 10,) the metal of the nut tends to close upon the thread of the screw automatic ally and cause the screw to turn harder, while the reverse operation tends to relieve the pressure of the nut T upon the screw T. Of course for a right-hand screw the position of the slot will be correspondingly changed. The free edge of the ink-plate'I is given a V shape, as shown at V, Fig. 3, so that as it advances under the ductor or transfer roller neath the ink-plate,

actuating mechanism,

D its extremities only come in contact with the ridge of ink left on the under side of said roller, and said edge commencing then to rotate the ductor or transfer rollerDby contact with it, the remaining part of the said ridge of ink is carried up and deposited upon the ink-plate I at a distance from its free end equal to the circumference of the ductor or transfer roller D, instead of being deposited at the rounded edge E of said ink-plate when left as a straight line, as has heretofore been the practice.

The objectof operating the ductor or transfer roller through and by means of the two bell-crank levers L L, the sectors L L, and shaft L is to avoid carrying a shaft across the machine on the line of the studs L L, which might be done. A shaft in this position, however, would interfere with free access to the fountain for all operations upon and within it.

I do not herein claim any of the parts illus trated in Figs. 6, 7, and 10, but prefer to use them as illustrated in said figures and Figs. 4 and 5, for the purposes set forth. Said parts are, however, reserved for the subject of an application for other Letters Patent, which have since issued, hearing date the 26th day of May, 1885, and numbered 318,618.

I do not claim the location of theink-fountain below the ink-plate, as this is commonly done in presses in which the delivery-board covers the fountain at too low alevel to permit of its being placed above the ink-plate; nor do I claim,pe'r 86, a slotted coupling of the form shown at P- P; but

As of my invention, I claim- 1. In an inking-apparatus of a printingpress, aductor or transfer roller, as D, operated by means of two sector bell-crank levers, as L L, engaging two other sectors, as L L, secured to a shaft, as L, so that the ductor or transfer roller may he raised and lowered perfectly level in all positions,substantiall y as and for the purposes set forth.

2. In an inking-apparatus of a printingpress in which the ink-fountain is placedbean ink-plate having its free edge of a V form, 'as at V, Fig. 3, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

3. In an inking apparatus of a printingpress, a slotted coupling, as P P, connecting theshaft of the inking-roller to a permanent so that, when the slot of the coupling is brought in line'with the direction in which the fountain'must move to be taken out of the machine, said fountain may be so removed or replaced without obstruction from said coupling, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

JOHN T. HAWKINS.

Witnesses:

FRANCIS P. REI LY, RoLLIN E. Bnnns. 

